Suspect apprehended in bomb threat hoax, charges pending

Suspect apprehended in Huntington, charges pending

Beth Sergent - bsergent@civitasmedia.com

A bomb threat closed McDonald’s in Point Pleasant for a short time on Friday afternoon though the threat was found to be a hoax and the restaurant later reopened. A suspect has been apprehended in the case with charges pending and another possible suspect is wanted for questioning.

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — A suspect is in custody after a bomb threat closed the Point Pleasant McDonald’s for a short time Friday afternoon.

William Ashworth, 25, of Huntington, was apprehended Friday evening by troopers from the Huntington post of the West Virginia State Police, according to the Point Pleasant Police Department. Apparently, troopers traced the coordinates of the cell phone number allegedly used to make the bomb threat call to Ashworth’s apartment in Huntington, according to the PPPD. Ashworth allegedly confessed to making the call and troopers took him into custody on a previous outstanding warrant in an unrelated case, Point Pleasant Police Chief Joe Veith said.

Veith said Ashworth’s motive was not known, but there is another suspect in the case who is possibly from Point Pleasant and is wanted for questioning. Ashworth will likely have charges filed against him Monday in the bomb threat incident, with Veith saying he’s already been in talks with Mason County Prosecuting Attorney R. Craig Tatterson about the case.

Late Friday afternoon, the PPPD said Mason County 911 received two anonymous phone calls at different times claiming there was a bomb at the McDonald’s on the corner of 6th Street. The caller claimed the bomb would be detonated near 5 p.m.

Though nothing happened at the time the caller claimed it would, law enforcement wasn’t taking any chances and cleared the restaurant, as well as nearby area businesses. Also, traffic was stopped along 6th Street. In addition, help from the West Virginia State Police was called in to provide special assistance, along with a bomb-sniffing dog, to investigate and clear the scene. The WVSP handler had to be called in from Logan and the dog was from Charleston. Veith said the dog didn’t detect a bomb in the restaurant and the scene was cleared. McDonald’s opened a short time later.

Troopers from the WVSP Mason County post were on scene assisting the PPPD, along with deputies from the Mason County Sheriff’s Department and firefighters with the Point Pleasant Police Department. The lead investigator on the case is Patrolman B. Morrow from the PPPD.

A bomb threat closed McDonald’s in Point Pleasant for a short time on Friday afternoon though the threat was found to be a hoax and the restaurant later reopened. A suspect has been apprehended in the case with charges pending and another possible suspect is wanted for questioning.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2016/04/web1_4.23-PPR-MCDonalds.jpgA bomb threat closed McDonald’s in Point Pleasant for a short time on Friday afternoon though the threat was found to be a hoax and the restaurant later reopened. A suspect has been apprehended in the case with charges pending and another possible suspect is wanted for questioning.

Suspect apprehended in Huntington, charges pending

Beth Sergent

bsergent@civitasmedia.com

Reach Beth Sergent at bsergent@civitasmedia.com or on Twitter @BSergentWrites.